Parkinson's disease (PD) affects about 1.8% of people over the age of 65′. It is clinically characterized by tremor, rigidity and bradykinesia that often occur along with disturbances of posture and gait. About 80% of PD cases are sporadic with males being more frequently affected than females (ratio=1.5:1). Patients with PD experience a clinical worsening over time.
Current treatments aim mainly at restoring dopaminergic transmission in the basal ganglia. These treatments are capable of alleviating some of the symptoms of the disorder (at least for several years after onset). However, no approach is presently known that can alter the progressive course of the neurodegenerative process and, consequently, the plethora of the clinical deficits associated with this degeneration.